Shanna Chess Photography

Denise and Troy brought adorable Sophia in for a newborn photoshoot at my Eugene, Oregon photography studio . What a cutie! This was a mini session, which is slightly different than my full newborn photography sessions, and can be a great option depending on what you’re looking for. Mini sessions are shorter (only an hour instead of closer to three). And since they’re short, they’re very simple and streamlined. I usually do some beanbag poses and one setup with backdrop, and also focus exclusively on baby rather than getting parent and sibling photos too. The mini sessions also include five high-resolution digital images, so if you want more of an all-inclusive package deal, a mini can be a good option. Of course, you’re always welcome to purchase more images if you can’t narrow it down to just five! (Not uncommon, trust me. Even with the shorter session time and fewer setups/outfits, you’ll still end up with lots of beautiful pictures to choose from, as you can see from this selectio...

As a Eugene, Oregon maternity photographer with a dedicated studio space, most of my clients come to me so they can have the full studio experience. But I’m also happy to travel to you! I’ve done several outdoor maternity sessions on the beach, in the mountains, and at various parks and recreational areas. It was really fun to do this particular maternity photography session at the client’s home. Sonia booked this maternity session for the end of May, when the weather was starting to warm up a bit. She has an area of her yard closed off where she keeps her hot tub, and told me she uses it as a calming space and often goes there to meditate. She thought it would make a great location for her maternity photos and I totally agree! Of course, one of the main things that makes somewhere a good candidate for a maternity photoshoot is the way it looks. I really liked the simple wood paneling that enclosed Sonia’s space. It made a great backdrop for photos with all the advantages of natura...

 I know we woke up to fog this morning in Eugene, but the past couple of days have been absolutely gorgeous! Sunshine and blue skies—plus I’ve been seeing daffodils and tulips popping up around town. All the color and warmth are getting me so excited for spring! I am itching to get outside again, but for now I thought this would be the perfect time to share photos from my outdoor minis last summer. These have become an annual tradition for me and something I look forward to every year! I generally hold spring minis, late summer/early fall minis (like these), as well as Christmas minis. Many of my clients join me for these outdoor mini photography sessions every year, so I try to switch up the location. It’s fun for me to try new places, and I want to make sure my clients have something new and different for their experience. Last year a friend of mine was kind enough to let me use her property in Veneta. It’s a beautiful place—even has a vineyard and a cute little pond. We spread ...

 Valentine’s Day is coming up, and what better way to spread the love than by sharing pictures from this sweet baby girl’s newborn photography session? She was so adorable and just a delight to have in the studio. Love the way her baby pics turned out. Enjoy! Danielle and David welcomed sweet Delilah to their family in the latter part of last year and scheduled her for a newborn mini session. These are a little different from my full newborn sessions, and they’re a fantastic option if you’re looking to focus just on baby and want more of an all-inclusive package. My mini sessions are nice and short—only an hour long—and include five high-resolution digital images. There are no parent/sibling images included, so if you want baby pictures only, this may be the option for you. The sweet spot for newborn photography is when baby is between seven and fourteen days old, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get beautiful photos beyond that. Little Delilah was almost four weeks old when she ca...

Hope everyone’s new year is off to a great start! I know Christmas is already behind us, but I’m still seeing Christmas lights and decorations up around town, so I hope it’s not too late to share the photos from my Christmas minis with you. I feel like nothing went as planned in 2020, and my Christmas minis were no exception! Typically I do at least three elaborate setups in the studio and also schedule a time for Santa to come in for photos with the kids. Back in March, when the COVID restrictions were first set up, I really didn’t expect for it to last as long as it did. I certainly didn’t think I’d still be worrying about it at Christmas! But as the time got closer to the holidays and the pandemic was still happening I went back and forth trying to come up with a safe way to do Christmas photography for my clients. It’s a tradition I love, and I know my clients count on it for holiday photos and Christmas cards, so I didn’t want to let them down. But client health and safety is a hu...

 I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday so far and that you’re all getting ready for a great new year! What a strange year this has been. I’m sure a lot of you are like me and will be more than happy to see the back of 2020, but it’s important to remember that plenty of good things have happened too—not least of which are our precious 2020 babies. My job as a newborn photographer reminds me that no matter what happens in the world, the miracle of life keeps happening—and it is beautiful every time! This sweet little girl is Lilith. Her mom brought her to my Eugene, Oregon photography studio back in October for baby pictures. I had photographed her big sister Dahlia as a newborn (about two and a half years ago now!) and was so excited to meet the new addition to their family. Dahlia was a real beauty as a baby, and Lilith is every bit as adorable! I remember being impressed with Mom’s taste and sense of style during Dahlia’s session—she chose such pretty dark colors—and I ...

 This little guy was wonderful for this newborn photography mini session. What a cutie! It was so great to have this little sweetheart in my Eugene, Oregon photography studio . He was such a good baby and it was a pleasure to create these images for him and his parents. Enjoy the photos! Mom and Dad brought Simon in for pictures back in October. He needed some extra time under the lights at the hospital so we had to delay his session for a few days, but it was no problem. I’m just glad I got to see him! Simon had some jaundice going on, but you’d never know it to look at our finished baby pictures. Parents sometimes worry that they won’t be able to get good photos if baby is jaundiced, but it’s not actually something I shy away from at all. It’s not difficult to edit that yellow tone to a very natural, warm skin tone, so I just take care of it on the computer after our session. By the time you see your finished gallery, you’ll never be able to tell! One of the advantages to ja...

My spring minis were the last photo sessions I did before I closed my studio temporarily due to COVID-19. It feels like such a long time ago now with everything that’s happened since then. I’m so grateful to be able to have my studio open to clients again.

Hope you’re all continuing to stay well and healthy! Another newborn photography session here from pre-lockdown days. Enjoy!

Hope you’re all staying well and healthy! It’s a bit of a crazy time right now, but I’ve loved continuing to see my clients and know that they are happy and thriving. Little miss Hadley came to my Eugene, Oregon photography studio near the middle of November for her six-month mini milestone photography session. I was so excited to see her again!

It’s certainly cold outside, but that’s the perfect weather for a snow sports themed baby photography session in the warmth of my studio. Shirree brought adorable Graham in a for a mini “sitter” session before Christmas. He did such a great job and I love the way our pictures turned out!

Tawni brought in adorable Logan for a shark-themed cake smash at the end of last year. I haven’t seen them since I did Logan’snewborn pictures , so it was wonderful to have them in my Eugene, Oregon photography studio again. Logan’s gotten so big! He was a preemie, but did a great job putting on weight and getting big and strong right from the start. Loved seeing him a year out and getting to know his fun personality.

This little cutie is my cousin, and I was so excited to see her again for her one-year mini baby photography session! If you ask me, there’s nothing better than the combination of family and photos. Hope you enjoy the pics!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! How are everyone’s preparations going? Shopping done, menus planned, list checked twice? Yeah, me neither. But that’s not to say that there hasn’t been some Christmas magic going on at my Eugene, Oregon photography studio ! I did my annual Christmas minis in early November and it went so well! I’m super excited to show you a few of the photos from this latest holiday-themed family photography collection. Enjoy!

Shannon made the drive over the pass from Redmond (about two and a half hours from my photography studio in Eugene, Oregon ) to do a newborn photography session for her adorable son Thomas. The pass isn’t always the smoothest driving, but with the beautiful weather we’ve been having it was nice and clear for her trip. Shannon also has family here in town, so she was able to drive over the day before and spend the night with them before bringing the little guy into the studio the next day.

Fall is my busy time of year. I have my usual schedule of newborn, maternity, family, and milestone shoots, but it’s also the season when I do my fall minis and prep for Christmas and holiday mini sessions as well. The schedule definitely keeps me on my toes, but I love it and wouldn’t have it any other way!

Brandi brought in adorable Macie last month for a four-year-old milestone mini session. I’ve been the Eugene, Oregon photographer for this family ever since Macie was born, and have photographed this little girl and her brother on multiple occasions, as well as doing maternity sessions for mom when she was expecting each of them. It was great to have Macie in the studio again for some special birthday photos!

Amy and Kyle brought Bennett back to my Eugene, Oregon photography studio for his six-month mini milestone session. I photographed him as a newborn and it was great to see him again! He is such a character and a total show-off in front of the camera! Our session went way too fast. I could have spent all day taking pictures of this sweetie!

Melissa and Richard brought their sweet daughter Emlyn to the studio last month for a newborn photography session. She is the cutest thing, and I love the name they chose for her. We ended up having a great mini session. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the photos of this beautiful little one!

It’s that time of year again! The sun is out, the flowers are in bloom, and the promise of summer is just around the corner. Last month I held my spring mini sessions and was joined by eleven wonderful families, with kiddos of all ages. It was wonderful to be with so many people I’ve come to know over the years through my work as a Eugene, Oregon family photographer . Everything went so smoothly from start to finish and our pictures turned out beautifully. I’m excited to share them with you and hope they bring some spring sunshine to your day!